What 980 DialAFlight clients thought of Indian Ocean

All worked perfectly and Richard Stumpf was great to deal with. Would definitely use you again and recommend.

Perfect service and great communication

As always fantastic service and help when needed. All employees are so helpful but special mention to Conrad.

A fabulous trip and thanks for assisting us

Cody went above and beyond on several occasions including when an issue cropped up on the trip. He ensured we had the most amazing holiday. I have highly recommended him to my friends.

Very good customer support, answered every concern and questions we had.

We will book again!

Always great holidays from booking with you and using Stacey with her fantastic guidance and knowledge.

Howard Crafter was brilliant. So was the rest of the team when I got in touch and he was on a call.

Jeff Lee was fantastic, so helpful. Can’t wait to book another trip with you guys

Everything lovely

You certainly came up trumps. Everything as promised! My son said he'd never felt so relaxed. Would recommend the hotel and DialAFlight

Highly recommend to everyone we speak to. Samuel is a pro at his job.

Great stress free transfers and ground staff at Coqueal de Bonneur. A fantastic holiday.

Many thanks to Ashley and colleagues for a wonderful holiday.

Excellent service that we could not fault! Amazing honeymoon. Thank you

The holiday was wonderful from beginning to end and the team at DialAFlight did a great job.

Harry Clark is my travel expert. I would highly recommend him,

Kylie Budinger went the extra mile to make sure we finally enjoyed a lovely holiday after we had to reschedule a number of times over the last few years

Brilliant as always

The hotel was absolutely amazing - would definitely recommend Jessica to my friends as the service from her and the team has been first class

Gino is simply the best - he takes care of all our holidays and is also helping friiends of mine. Great client service all round

Curtis was fantastic from start to finish

Always good to know that wherever you are, you can assist.

Best travel agent we’ve ever used by a long way

Mike Kohler’s hotel suggestions were excellent as always. Everything was well organised including all hotels, flights and transfers.

We have been using Travis for many years. He is always helpful, reliable and we have had some great holidays!

We liked the fact that the telephone was answered promptly and everything went very smoothly

Advice on entry requirements for the Seychelles was poor.

Fantastic experience from start to finish. I have a few holidays in the pipeline and will be using DialAFlight for those.

Indian Ocean Idyll

The hotel with the biggest wow on Mauritius

It has its own helipad, grows its own herbs to be used in massages – but Tom Laing's jaw dropped when he saw the cocktail waiters on Segways

What do you get if you cross a tropical island wrapped in white sandy beaches in the middle of the Indian Ocean with a luxury hotel that's received a $48million makeover?

And throw in a couple of private islands, three beaches, two pools, a spa and a helicopter transfer from the airport to the on-site helipad. The answer is the Shangri-La Le Touessrok on Mauritius, the epitome of luxury on an island bristling with five-star hotels.

It was originally opened as a restaurant in the 1970s. So customers could happily drink with dinner without worrying about driving home, the owner decided to build a few bungalows.

Over the following years he bought a neighbouring sugar plantation and expanded into a 200-room hotel - until, in 2015, Shangri-La turned up with some serious cash and a plan to create the hotel with the biggest wow in Mauritius.

We sweep down the palm tree-lined drive, yards from the ocean and the hotel's jetty. After a slick check in we're escorted to our room in the Frangipani wing.

It has two levels, the lower dominated by an enormous bed overlooking patio windows and a balcony facing a quiet beach. The upper level bathroom is focused around a huge egg-shaped bath, big enough for two or maybe three.

Relaxing in the privacy of the Frangipani pool

FRANGIPANI WING

The Frangipani wing boasts Republik, a beach bar style restaurant that spills onto one of Le Touessrok's beaches. Grilled seafood and smoked marlin, as we sit on cushions on the sand, is the perfect way to begin our stay.

And then, astonishingly, a waiter glides smoothly across the sand on a Segway, delivering fruit platters of watermelon and pineapple and cocktails.

The spa showcases the island's botanical produce, growing their own herbs to incorporate into massages. I opt for the two-and-a-half hour 'Seven Essences of Chamarel' - a pampering extravaganza made up of a coco hair treatment, sugar cane body scrub, eye and face mask, aloe vera body wrap and a Tipik massage that leaves me in a lemongrass essence-induced daze for hours.

For all its exclusive seclusion, the Frangipani wing isn't even the most luxurious part of the hotel. That award goes to the three villas nestled at the far end of the grounds with their own private beaches and infinity pools.

Watch the sun set on a catamaran cruise

PRIVATE BUTLERS

With a 24/7 butler team and your own chef on standby to cater to your every craving, it's a 'household' set up designed to make guests feel like they're in a private home.

As we explore the expansive pad, I glance at the branded mini dressing gowns and slippers for the kids. It's certainly not like any private home I've ever been to.

Fancying a change from paddling in the turquoise waters off the hotel's several beaches, I feel like venturing out so head to the jetty that ferries guests to two nearby islands.

For the romantics, Cabana dining on the beach

ILOT MANGÉNIE

Ile aux Cerfs is home to a Bernhard Langer designed championship golf course often voted one of the world's most stunning, but for the more sedate the hidden gem is Ilot Mangénie, a secluded collection of palm trees and forest ringed by stretches of soft white sand. The island is exclusive for Shangri-La's guests, with butlers serving lobster at tables amongst the trees.

With four restaurants and the Sega rum bar dotted across the hotel, you're spoiled for choice - as well as lots of local seafood, there's Indian and Japanese.

Faultless service from a beaming barman

At Safran, spicy aromas draw us towards the open kitchen, where two tandoor ovens sit proudly on display. Safran is a nod to the strong Indian influence on the island, mixing Mauritian staples such as chicken and prawn curry with Southern Indian classics including tandoori salmon and yellow spiced lentils.

Then there's Kushi, the Japanese restaurant with its master sushi chef and an array of cocktails and sake. I go for the Yakinuki, which means time for some DIY. The centre of the table opens out to reveal a grill whilst plates of melt-in-your-mouth wagyu beef, shellfish and vegetables are delivered, which you sizzle on the flames.

Competition for top spot amongst Mauritius's hotels is fierce, as each pushes the boundaries. Who knows what they'll come up with next, but for now Le Touessrok is setting the bar at a dizzy height.

First published in the Daily Mail - November 2017

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